Tobacco stemming machine



B. MqHACKLER I TOBACCO STEMMING' MACHINE Dec. 20, 1938.

Filed Aug. 6, 1956 Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Oomas Cigarette Machine Company, 1110.,

1cm, Va.-, a corporation of Virginia Application August 6, 1936,, Serial No. 94,699

3 Claims.

This invention. relates to an improvement in tobacco stemming machines and more particularly. to cleaning rolls for such machines for clearing the card teeth of accumulation of parts of 5,= leaves andv stems of tobacco.

In tobacco stemming machines which have been used heretofore, strips of card clothing are used in order to separate or strip the lamina from the stems, such card clothing being in the form of brusheshaving. stripping teeth which engage the lamina. It is necessary to keep the brushes relatively clean by the removal of the bits of lamina and stems therefrom, for which purpose the cleaning rolls are employed, having teeth or blades which enter between the teeth of the strippingbrushes to remove the bits of stems and lamina therefrom.

The object of the present invention is to improve the cleaning action on the stripping brushes or bars and also to prevent portions of the leaves from wrapping around the cleaning roll. In addition to a more effective cleaning action on the stripping bars or brushes, this improved cleaning roll does not destroy the carding on the cleaning bars and thereby materially lengthens the life of the carding over machines which have been used heretofore.

This improved cleaning roll comprises a series of thin steel blades separated by soft flexible cushioning washers, formed of rubber, or the like, and mounted on a shaft to which the blades have driving connections, as by means of polygonal shaped holes fitting on a correspondingly shaped shaft. The blades have triangular portions projecting from opposite sides of the roll in a line extending lengthwise thereof which pro" jecting portions are of less width than the diameter of the roll in order to form relatively narrow stripping blades which effectively clean the bits of lamina and stems from the stripping bars in an effective manner without injuring the card clothing teeth and without wrapping portions of the leaves around the roll.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a sectional view, partly in elevation, through a portion of a tobacco stemming machine showing the improved cleaning rolls applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cleaning roll detached;

Fig. 3 is a detailed longitudinal sectional view through an end portion of the cleaning roll;

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Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the roll, on the line as of. Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective View of one ofthe cleaning blades.

The invention is shown applied to a tobacco stemming machine of the type set forth in Pasley patent, No. 1,930,406, granted October 10, 1936, a portion of which is represented in Fig. l, wherein the frame of the machine is designated generally by the numeral 1, and carries superimi posed endless chains 2, upon which are mounted stripping brushes 3 having teeth arranged to be brought together into cooperative relation to engage opposite sides of tobacco leaves which are fed between the endless chains 2 by means of superimposed endless conveyors 4.

Arranged adjacent each of the endless chains 2 carrying the stripping brushes 3 are cleaning rolls designated generally by the numeral 5, journaled in suitable bars on the frame I and adapted to be driven from the source of power which drives the chains 2 and conveyors 4, as set forth in the Pasley patent, No. 1,930,406.

The cleaning rolls 5 have peripheral blade portions of the nature of teeth which are arranged in position to engage and enter between the card clothing teeth of the stripping brushes 3 to remove from the brush bits of lamina and stems which may stick thereto, in order to keep the brushes clean for effective operation.

My present invention embodiesan improved cleaning roll which I have found effective in cleaning the bits of tobacco leaves from the stripping brushes.

This improved cleaning roll comprises an elongated shaft 6, the periphery of which should have provision for securing the blades thereto in driving relation, such for instance, as by making the periphery polygonal in shape to fit correspondingly shaped holes in the blades, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The opposite ends of the shaft 6 are constructed for suitably journaling in the frame and one: end is adapted to be driven, as

, described above.

One end of the shaft 6 has a peripheral shoulder flange 1 thereon adapted to act as a stop flange, while the opposite end of the shaft 6 has screw-threads 8 to receive a nut 9 threaded thereon and adapted to press against a clamping washer H) which slips freely over the threads 8 of the roll.

The space between the shoulder 1 and washer I0 is filled with a series of blades II and separators I2, the latter being of cushioning material such as rubber, in order to mount the blades 55 yieldingly and to hold them in proper relation on the shaft 6., The blades I I are preferably of spring steel, relatively thin and flexible and each of the blades is preferably diamond shaped with the shorter diameter less than the diameter of the separators I2, but the long diameter being appreciably greater than the diameter of the separators so that the exposed triangular ends of the blades project from opposite sides of the roll as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, which enables the cleaning roll to clear itself of the leaves. The shape of these blades is important as it also prevents tearing of the leaves. These projecting ends of the flexible blades are sufficiently long to enter between the card clothing teeth on the stripping brushes 3 and to within g" of the bottom of the carding teeth to remove bits of lamina and stems therefrom effectively without materially injuring the card clothing teeth, producing a greatly improved cleaning action.

' The spaces between the projecting ends of the blades, prevent clogging of the blades by bits of lamina and stems of the tobacco leaves and also prevent winding of portions of the leaves onto the surface of the rolls thus accomplishing a more effective cleaning of the stripping brushes than has been customary heretofore with other types of cleaning rolls which have been proposed.

I claim:

1. A cleaning roll for a tobacco stemming maraters between the blades, said blades being approximately diamond shaped With the smaller 7 axis less than the diameter of the separators and with the longer axis greater than the diameter of the separators providing projecting portions externally of the separators.

3. A cleaning roll for a tobacco stemming machine comprising a shaft having a plurality of flexible metallic blades mounted thereon, and separators between the blades, each of the blades being approximately diamond shaped with the shorter axis thereof less than the diameter of the separators and the long axis thereof appreciably greater than the diameter of the separators providing projecting points externally of the separaters on opposite sides of the roll.

BER'IRAM M. HACKLER. 

